When you feel relieved that some situation has gotten better or something turns out to be not as bad as you had thought, expected or imagined or simply when you feel lucky you don’t have to be in trouble or face difficulty, in Thai, we would use the expression “ค่อยยังชั่ว” [kôi yang chûa]. You can use the phrase by itself, for example, A: “ฉันหาเงินที่ทำหายเจอแล้วล่ะ” [chán hăa ngern tîi tam hăai jer léaw lâ] “I’ve found the money I lost!” B: “ค่อยยังชั่ว” [kôi yang chûa] “Thank God!”. And you can also state what makes you feel relieved, or what you thank God for, after the phrase by adding “ที่” [tîi] before. E.g. 1) A: “ฉันกินเนื้อสัตว์ไม่ได้” [chán gin néua sàt mâi dâai] “I can’t eat meat”. B: เหรอ ค่อยยังชั่วที่ที่นี่มีขายอาหารเจ [răw? kôi yang chûa tîi tîi nîi mii kăai aahăan jay]. “Oh yeah? Thank goodness they sell veggie food here!”. 2) A: “ฉันกับแฟนเลิกกันแล้วล่ะ” [chán gàp fan lêrk gan léaw lâ] My boyfriend and I broke up. B: “จริงอ่ะ ค่อยยังชั่วที่แกยังไม่บอกใครว่าเขาขอแต่งงาน” [jing à? kôi yang chûa tîi gae yang mâi dâai bàwk khrai wâa káo kăw tàeng ngaan] “Really? Thank God you haven’t told anyone that he proposed!”.

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